Question of the Day #820

Purpose is a divisive concept, a 'hot potato' for all brands - should organisations let it define everything they do, or is it something that crumbles when scrutinised?

From the lede of this article at Prolific North.

  上記の文で、hot potatoの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "hot potato" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. ホットポテト、焼きジャガイモ
2. 厄介な［扱いにくい・不快な］問題、難問、難題、手に余るもの
3. 困難な立場
4. 〔政治家などの〕スキャンダル
5. ホットポテト◆子どもの遊び。ボールやお手玉のような物体を次々と別の人に投げ渡す。一定の時点でそれを持っていた人は失格となり、ゲームから脱落。最後まで残った人が勝ち。

問題文の場合は、2番の訳になります。下記、英語の定義でなぜこのような言い方をするのかがわかると思います。  

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

A sensitive situation or controversial issue that is difficult to handle and thus gets passed from one person to the next (like a potato that is too hot to hold).

 

Examples

• Pricing policy is another hot potato.
• The abortion issue is a political hot potato in the United States.
• But the reality, that is, a proposed solution, was not offered to us, and remains a hot potato for the next presidency.
• I sure don’t want to have to deal with that hot potato.
• The political candidate knew the issue was a hot potato, so he deferred to his chief of staff, who directed questions to the committee chairperson.

 

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Question of the Day #819

Gender Dysphoria and Adverse Childhood Experiences

From the headline of this article at Public Discourse.

  上記の文で、gender dysphoriaの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "gender dysphoria" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
Weblioによると、

性別違和症候群
性別違和症候群（英: gender dysphoria）とは、元来、性転換症(transsexualism)よりも、広範な概念を持つ gender dysphoria を日本語訳したものである。

下記、英語の定義の方がわかりやすいと思うので参照してください。

Answer

According to NHS.UK:

Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.

 

Examples

• “I’ve tried to talk about background issues with therapists, but because I was trans, gender dysphoria was seen as the cause of my problems, and not a symptom of them,” she told me.
• Social and medical transition can be the best outcome for some people with gender dysphoria.
• Lopez's lawsuit demands the hospital allow clinic doctors to offer what they describe as lifesaving treatment to young people with gender dysphoria and similar issues.
• Transgender Trend calls for evidence-based healthcare for children suffering from gender dysphoria.
• But in practice there are people who were born either a woman or a man and experience gender dysphoria but have not yet completed the legal transition to the other gender. 

 

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Question of the Day #818

One conclusion is EarlyNFT is trying to pull a fast one, but perhaps he has some legal rights here.

From the 8th paragraph of this article at Ledger Insights.

  上記の文で、pull a fast oneの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "pull a fast one" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈話〉人をまんまとだます

   

Answer

According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

to successfully deceive someone

 

Examples

• You paid too much - I think he pulled a fast one on you.
• I've got a great plan to pull a fast one on the school for April Fools' Day.
• She was pulling a fast one when she said she had a headache and went home.
• Finally, it is also worth bearing in mind that not every buyer who lowers his or her offer is trying to pull a fast one. - Times, Sunday Times (2010)
• He was, rightly, fired ... but he certainly wasn't the first ambitious young journalist under pressure to land a story to pull a fast one. - Times, Sunday Times (2013)

 

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Question of the Day #817

Yes, Succotash Has a Luxurious Side

From the headline of this article at The New York Times.

  上記の文で、succotashの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "succotash" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

サカタッシュ、サコタッシュ、サッコタシ◆トウモロコシ、ライマメ、トマトのシチュー。アメリカで大恐慌時代に流行した料理。ライマメと野菜の煮込みにバターなどを乗せたものをもサコタッシュと呼ぶことがある。地域によっては感謝祭での伝統料理となっている。

広義では、日本の「ミックスベジタブル」等の茹でた野菜ミックスをsuccotashと言うことがあります。  

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

lima or shell beans and kernels of green corn cooked together

語源

英辞郎によると、

アメリカ先住民族アルゴンキン語で「ゆでたトウモロコシ」の意味。

とありますが、下記Merriam-Websterによると「茹でたトウモロコシの穀粒」になりますので微妙に違います。  

Etymology

According to Merriam-Webster,

Narragansett msíckquatash boiled corn kernels

 

Examples

• The succotash mixture may be fed alone or in conjunction with other meal added to make the food still more in balance.
- PRATT'S PRACTICAL POINTERS ON THE CARE OF LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY|PRATT FOOD CO.
• There were succotash and baked codfish, a good brown loaf, and pies made of blueberries gathered and dried the summer before.
- THE PURITAN TWINS|LUCY FITCH PERKINS
• The cultivation of maize and plants gave the people unleavened bread, the Indian succotash and hominy.
- ANCIENT SOCIETY|LEWIS HENRY MORGAN
• Like the summer succotash of the American South or the ratatouille of France, vignarola is a vegetable stew that, in its ideal form, is radiant with freshness. — Bee Wilson, WSJ, 14 May 2022
• This summer succotash features all of the season's finest veggies: Corn, zucchini, tomatoes and green beans. — Kate Merker, Good Housekeeping, 14 June 2021

 

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Question of the Day #816

While everything seems really far-fetched at the moment, we understand why many may be having trouble understanding the true essence of what we can expect through the Metaverse.

From the 14th paragraph of this article at Digital Information World.

  上記の文で、far-fetchedの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "far-fetched" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〔考え・計画・話・論理などが創意に富んでいるが〕ありそうもない、起こりそうにもない、信じ難い、本当だとはとても思えない、こじつけの、とっぴな、強引とも言える、取って付けたような◆【直訳】遠くから持ってきた

   

Answer

According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

very unlikely to be true, and difficult to believe

 

Examples

• Her story about being chased away from school by wolves seems pretty far-fetched.
• This is probably not far-fetched, as everyone employs various techniques before a fight.
• Of course, many of the ideas were far-fetched, but many turned out to be right.
• The storyline was too far-fetched and none of the actors was particularly good.
• This is not some far-fetched scaremongering from the left. - The Guardian (2018)

 

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Question of the Day #815

If you don’t do audits, a potential Pandora's box of devilish practices might get started and grow without nary a concern that the house of cards is conning others and someday might crash and devastate innocents.

From the 10th paragraph of this article at Forbes.

  上記の文で、house of cardsの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "house of cards" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〔トランプカードで作った家のように〕不安定な建物［構造・計画］、砂上の楼閣◆【直訳】トランプ札で作った家/li>

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a structure, situation, or institution that is insubstantial, shaky, or in constant danger of collapse

 

Examples

• If the weakest link breaks, the inspection process will collapse like a house of cards.
• The whole thing is a house of cards and will add to the instability of the country.
• The film is a house of cards. If one scene fails to hold, the entire credibility of the film comes crashing down.
• The scheme is so overly complicated that it's likely to prove to be just another house of cards.
• The next twenty-four hours may well bring the entire house of cards we have constructed tumbling about our ears. -- Ross, Melville LOHENGRIN (2003)

 

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Question of the Day #814

Were there certain countries that were actually winners in this whole supply chain mishegoss?

From the headline of this article at Newsweek.

  上記の文で、mishegossの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "mishegoss" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
Weblioによると、

狂気

厳密にいうと、mishegossは英語ではなくYiddishですが、Yiddishの単語が英文・英会話の中で使用されるようになっています。

発音を確認したい場合は、Vocabulary.comで音声を聞くことができます。  

Answer

According to Vocabulary.com:

(Yiddish) craziness; senseless behavior or activity

 

Examples

• "It just doesn’t fit into the normal —— 'Broadway mishegoss,' Ms. Taymor said." New York Times Nov 24, 2010
• "I think it's great that in the midst of all this mishegoss on the debt ceiling, budget, deficits, stimulus, the committee is taking the time to look at the longer term challenges that middle class families have been struggling with well before the recession took hold."
• "After the Janet Jackson bosom mishegoss, the NFL got scared of hiring young people, because all young people want to do is take off their clothes, and if you watch television, you know the last thing you ever see on TV is young people taking off their clothes."
• "In the end, compromises were struck and the blizzard — which stopped almost every show in town except the unstoppable Leguizamo — made much of the mishegoss moot."
Chicago Tribune Feb 11, 2011
• But as Leo Rosten noted in his classic "The Joys of Yiddish," mishegoss is more often used in a light, amused, madcap vein: "a wacky, irrational, absurd belief . . . a piece of tomfoolery" or, in another sense, a foolish fixation: "She has a new mishegoss -- that the neighbors are trying to ruin her."

 

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Question of the Day #813

“I would not put it past [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to now view the Arctic as another avenue for conflict, and one that will allow him to flex his muscles,” says Daniel Silverberg

From the 16th paragraph of this article at Time.

  上記の文で、would not put it past [someone]の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "would not put it past [someone]" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〔悪い事や不愉快なことを〕（人）ならやりそうだ［やりかねない・やっても不思議ではない］と思う

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Based on that person's pattern of behavior, it is not impossible to imagine them engaging in that kind of bad behavior.

 

Examples

• You know what she's like. I wouldn't put it past her to call the police and say I stole them.
• I would not put it past John to take all of those stray cats home.
• Do I think Joe stole the money? Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him. He has no conscience.
• It seems a bit far-fetched that the government is spying on us with our own appliances, but I wouldn't put it past them.
• He wouldn't put it past Caitlin to have stopped work and gone home for the night, even though she knew how important it was.

 

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Question of the Day #812

Anecdotally, according to experts, this year also resulted in a very high number of students on wait lists.

From the 15th paragraph of this article at Time.

  上記の文で、wait listの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "wait list" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

順番待ちリスト［名簿］

ということですが、問題文のように学校・大学関係においては、「補欠名簿」と言うことになります。
ちなみに、waiting listということの方が多いように思いますが、学校関係においてはwait listが一般的のようです。  

Answer

According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

a list of people who have asked for something, especially a place at a college or in a class, or a ticket for something, that is not immediately available but may be in the future

 

Examples

• ‘It also wants the government to increase funding to reduce wait lists for surgery at B.C. hospitals and give doctors more say in rebuilding the health system, he said.’
• In the Washington area 1,520 people are on the wait list for a new kidney.
• Officials said the wait list for the program is currently at 20 families.
• They agreed that 2,000 of the 2,500 coming off the wait list will be put in a less expensive program offering fewer services than the main program.
• She said they sometimes made an "executive decision" to offer care to a disabled person who was not at the top of the wait list.

 

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Question of the Day #811

It’d be one thing if the decision to pull the plug was based solely on CNN+’s underperformance over its first few weeks.

From the 7th paragraph of this article at Nieman Lab.

  上記の文で、pull the plugの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "pull the plug" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 〔電源コンセントから電気器具の〕プラグ［電源コード］を抜く
2. 〔患者から〕生命維持装置を外す
3. 〔活動などを〕やめる、打ち切る
4. 〔事業・融資などから〕手を引く、撤退する

問題文の場合は、3番目の訳になります。  

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. Literally, to discontinue the power supply for a device by removing its power cable from the socket.
2. By extension, to force something to end; to remove the means for something to continue operating.
3. To remove, turn off, or discontinue someone's life-support system, resulting in their death.

 

Examples

• The computer crashed so badly that the only thing I could do was pull the plug.
• They pulled the plug because they felt our department wasn't an important part of the business.
• I've instructed my family to pull the plug on me if I ever become brain dead.
• The banks have the power to pull the plug on the project.
• Vic would find out about it, know Janey's talking to me, and he'd pull the plug. - James W. Hall OFF THE CHART (2004)

 

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Question of the Day #810

However, as Pazdur himself admitted, changing a well-established practice won’t be a cakewalk.

From the headline of this article at Fierce Biotech.

上記の文で、cakewalkの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "cakewalk" mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈米話〉簡単なこと［にできること］、楽勝

「楽勝」と言う意味があることから、この単語はしばしばスポーツ関連の記事に使用されます。  

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. a one-sided contest: an easy victory
2. an easy task

語源

英辞郎によると、

19世紀のアメリカ黒人たちの間で始まった歩き方を競う競技で、最も奇妙な歩き方をした者が賞品としてケーキをもらえたことから。

 

Etymology

According to NPR.com,

The cakewalk was a pre-Civil War dance originally performed by slaves on plantation grounds. The uniquely American dance was first known as the "prize walk"; the prize was an elaborately decorated cake. Hence, "prize walk" is the original source for the phrases "takes the cake" and "cakewalk."

 

Examples

• She expected the election to be a cakewalk.
• Reducing the state budget is not going to be a cakewalk.
• But unfortunately for Cincinnati, the Cotton Bowl was also a cakewalk for Alabama. — Laine Higgins, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2022
• The role of a mentally challenged person is no cakewalk, but the actor takes to it like a fish takes to water.
• A war might be launched without legitimacy, but its human and financial costs will be much more readily questioned, particularly if the war turns out not to be a cakewalk.

 

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Question of the Day #809

Gonzaga’s Cierra Walker plays roshambo with assistant coach Craig Fortier during last season’s virtual FanFest.

From the caption of the photograph of this article at The Spokesman-Review.

  上記の文で、roshamboの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "roshambo" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

じゃんけん◆【同】rock-paper-scissors

   

Answer

According to YourDictionary.com:

(games) The game of Rock Paper Scissors.

語源

Mental Flossによると、

とある逸話によると、この単語はアメリカの独立戦争でアメリカ軍と共に戦ったフランス人貴族のComte de Rochambeauが語源とされています。

しかし、roshamboがジャンケンの同義語とする最も古い記述は、1936年にOakland, Californiaで出版されたThe Handbook for Recreation Leadersです。その本の中の綴りは、ro-sham-beauでした。

Ben Zimmer氏によると、Comte de Rochambeauはジャンケンとは全く関係がないと言っています。ジャンケンは1600年代の中国が起源で、日本に伝わってから「じゃんけんぽん」と呼ばれるようになったとされています。20世紀初頭にこの遊びはヨーロッパに伝わり、1930年代アメリカで遊ばれるようになったようです。

サンフランシスコに東アジア系の移民が多いため、その周辺の子供たちは日本語の「じゃんけんぽん」として覚えたと考えられます。この変化を裏付けるものはありませんが、Zimmer氏は1930年代のサンフランシスコ周辺の子供たちが「じゃんけんぽん」を同じリズムの（歴史の授業で覚えた）roshamboに改名したのではないかと推測しています。

 

Etymology

According to Mental Floss,

According to certain legends, the term dates back to the Comte de Rochambeau, a French nobleman who fought against the British during the Revolutionary War...

The earliest known use of "roshambo" as a synonym for the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors is found in a 1936 book called The Handbook for Recreation Leaders, published in Oakland, California. That mention spelled it “ro-sham-beau.”

Zimmer says that the Comte de Rochambeau had no involvement with the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Versions of the game originated in China as far back as 1600 before spreading to Japan, where it was called “Jon Ken Pon.” The Japanese game eventually spread to Europe in the early 20th century, and made it to the U.S. in the 1930s.

Because the San Francisco area has long been home to a large population of East Asian immigrants, it’s likely that kids playing the early version of Rock, Paper, Scissors became familiar with the Japanese name Jon Ken Pon. While there’s little historical evidence to trace the change, Zimmer hypothesizes that Bay Area kids in the ‘30s ended up Americanizing the name (perhaps with the help of the Revolutionary War knowledge they picked up in history class) and transforming it into a word with similar cadence: “roshambo.”

 

Examples

• In some circles, the decisive game of Rock, Paper, Scissors goes by another name: roshambo.
• Hey! I'll roshambo (Rochambeau) you for the last beer!
• Pat: I challenge you to a Roshambo, winner takes all.

 

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Question of the Day #808

Trauma dumping: When your venting becomes 'toxic' to your friends

From the headline of this article at USA Today.

  上記の文で、ventの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "vent" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

名詞

1. 穴、ベント、出口、排出口、通気口、通風孔
2. 火道
3. 〔不満・怒りなどの〕はけ口
4. 〈話〉＝ventilator

自動詞

1. 〔怒りなどの感情を〕爆発させる、発散する、愚痴る
2. 通風する

他動詞

1. 〔～に〕通気孔をつける
2. 〔煙などを〕放出する
3. 〔不満・怒りなどを〕発散［爆発］させる

問題文の場合は、上記名詞形の三番目の訳になりますが、他の訳からなぜそのような意味になるのかが伺えるのではないでしょうか。  

Answer

According to :

Transitive verb

1. to provide with a vent
             
2.                            
                              
   1. to serve as a vent for
                              
   2. DISCHARGE, EXPEL
                              
   3. to give often vigorous or emotional expression to
                              
                
3. to relieve by means of a vent

Intransitive verb
to relieve oneself by venting something (such as anger)

 

Examples

• She vented her frustrations by kicking the car.
• Don't vent your anger on me.
• I screamed because I needed to vent.
• The meeting will be an opportunity for everyone to give vent to their feelings.
• I didn't mean to upset anyone, I just needed to vent.

 

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